Kidnapped by a Killer (Edited Version)

Chapter 15

Content to sleep for the rest of eternity, I snuggled closer to whatever warmth was engulfing me. Vaguely, I was aware that firm arms were wrapped around me, but I wasn't hardly conscious enough to care whose. I was also aware of fingers carding through my hair, and I let myself indulge in the fantasy that I was waking up in my roommate's bed back at the dorms, feeling him comfort me after a long day of classes and studying. It was a pleasant fantasy that I almost believed was real for a minute or two.

But such a blissful image couldn't last, and soon I was awake enough to remember that I was not in my roommate's bed; I wasn't even in the dorms. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw the nightstand that I remembered sat next to Cliff's bed, and heard the quiet breathing of someone laying awake behind me. I was pressed back against Cliff's chest with his chin resting on my head as his fingers played with my hair absentmindedly. I didn't know if I should move.

"Excuse me..." I whispered. "I-I want to get up..."

Cliff stopped touching my hair almost immediately and I took the chance to sit up. As I scooted to the far side of the bed, Cliff lifted himself up on one elbow. "You probably shouldn't be moving," he said. "Your wounds could reopen."

"I'm fine," I said. I stumbled away and into the bathroom.

Once I was alone, I stared into the bathroom mirror. I hadn't been aware enough to take noticed the night before, but now that I had slept I could clearly see how beat up I was. Looking myself over, I found I had bandages all over my arms and legs, and whatever wasn't covered in white cotton was purple with bruises. I was the definition of a mess and it was painful to see. I tugged on the long sleeves of Cliff's shirt until they covered my hands, not hard to do when the shirt was already too big, and went back into the bedroom.

Cliff was gone, so I assumed he must have stepped out to make breakfast. I didn't feel like moving around anymore than I already had, so I returned to the bed and pulled the sheets across my lap. I was still tired from everything that had happened, but I wasn't sure if I should sleep more or try to stay awake while Cliff was home. I was still debating when the door opened. I couldn't help it, I jumped a little.

Cliff definitely noticed, but he didn't say anything. "Are you hungry?" he asked, holding a bowl of the same soup from the night before.

Even though I hadn't had much to eat in the past week, I wasn't hungry. But I nodded anyways, and he set the bowl on the nightstand beside me. "Thank you..." I said.

He gave me a curt nod in return. "I have some things to do, so I'll be back in a little bit," he said. "Will you be alright?"

"Yes," I said and watched as he left the room.

I only ate about half of the soup, but it was plenty to fill me. I set the remaining food back on the nightstand and made myself comfortable in the bed. Rolling to my side, I could see Cliff outside the window. He was feeding the three dogs that had chased me before. He set a bowl of dog food down for each of them and they scarfed down their food like they'd been starving longer than me. Pleased with their meals, they rubbed on Cliff's legs, begging him to pet them. He told them no at first becuase he had things he needed to do, but after some persuasive yips, he relented. He sat in the grass and the three large dogs jumped all over him, licking and barking with delight. He laughed as he tried to keep them from trampling him into the dirt.

At first, I watched him without much interest. But the more I watched, the more painful it became to see. I remembered rolling around in the grass when my best friend Kevin had gotten his new puppy for his birthday. He had invited me over to see him and we spent hours teaching him fetch and how to sit. It made me homesick.

Covering my face with a pillow, I decided sleeping was better than facing reality, and I had almost succeeded when I heard the bedroom door open. For a few minutes, I listened to Cliff wander about the room haphazardly, trying to be quiet but failing miserably. Then there was a creak on the bed and I pulled the pillow away from my face quickly.